Handmade Wardrobe : my most worn handmade garment

If you found this blog through my creative instagram account or youtube channel then you probably already know that I am an AVID knitter and crafter in general. Since as far back as I can remember I’ve been making my own clothes, starting off with a love of sewing that quickly moved into knitting and it’s something that has been my constant companion through years of changes, both style wise and also continent wise too!

For me being creative is being me. It’s about expressing my personality in a material form and it’s just plain magical! As I’ve been venturing more towards downsizing and decluttering my life there’s been a gradual move towards more ‘intentional making’, for example: really looking at the handmade pieces that I reach for again and again.

Today I wanted to share with you a relatively recent make that has quickly become my most loved piece of handmade clothing, or maybe even clothing in general.

Her name is Smaragd (which translates into ’emerald’), and she is a mustard, merino and silk hand knit jumper and I LOVE her. I think the reason that I love her so so much and reach for her all the time is because she’s a perfectly cropped length that means she can be layered over tops with jeans but also fits perfectly over dresses too without bunching them up underneath. My Smaragd sweater is knit out of a lightweight and ridiculously soft 4ply yarn which is hand-dyed and purchased from a fair-trade company based out of Uruguay. The yarn is very breathable and certainly not too warm for the funny Melbourne weather that demands lots and lots of easily removable layers. She’s also the PERFECT shade of Mustard, that suits my olive skin tone and matches my wardrobe of autumnal toned browns, plums and teals. Where as the pattern is actually written to be a cardigan, I adjusted it slightly so as to create this simple pullover instead. I have plans to create another version in a slightly more hardy yarn next time, potentially in a muted plum tone or a dusty green, both of which I imagine would fit into my handmade wardrobe really well.

I think that when you enter the land of downsizing, it becomes more and more apparent what your ‘real’ personal style is. I’m not talking about the personal style that you WANT to have but actually the one that you have, in real life!

For me there was something really magical about accepting my personal style as it actually was, a bit muted and autumnal, definitely cosy and comfy and always matching. We can often purchase things that we want to wear because we thought they looked amazing on someone else, but what’s the point in owning things that we don’t ever actually reach for?

As I downsize my belongings so they will eventfully fit into our 7.4 m Tiny House, it’s becoming very clear that just as I’m becoming more of a conscious consumer with regards to fast fashion, I also need to do the same with my own creative pursuits too. My dream has always been to have a completely handmade wardrobe and I hope to someday reach that ‘pinnacle’, but for me it’s still such a learning curve to work out pieces to create that I know I will love and wear again and again.

It’s certainly a process, and one I’m looking forward to sharing with you in the future!